This week was a turning point for Republicans on Trump

Washington (CNN)Here are the stories our panel of top political reporters have on their radar, in this week's "Inside Politics" forecast.

President Donald Trump has been vocal this week about his communications with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, including releasing a letter he sent to the Turkish leader in which Trump warned him not to be a "fool" over fighting in northern Syria.

But it was Vice President Mike Pence, along with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who went to Ankara to negotiate a ceasefire.

"The President didn't go. He sent Pence in his place," says , who traveled with the vice president on Thursday. "It was just interesting watching Pence be in that room for so many hours negotiating."

"It's probably not going to go off the rails depending on who wins the Canadian election," Demirjian said, "but you're probably going to have to take until November or December before they can recall the Parliament" to vote.

Demirjian also noted the delays on the American side, particularly Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi so far declining to put the trade deal to a vote on the House floor. That's something Trump and Republicans have criticized her over for weeks, and more delays could mean potential changes to the deal.

"The more that things potentially change and shift the more you could start to move away from what the original agreement was on the margins," Demirjian said. "That's potentially a big deal when you are talking about who stands to benefit from this and where they vote in the country and what that means for 2020."

Most Republican revolts of the Trump presidency have been limited and short-lived. So it is dangerous to look too far ahead as we try to understand the current GOP anger and frustration. But this past week was different -- the term "turning point" was used by several Republicans.

Republican Rep. Francis Rooney of Florida Republican Rep. Francis Rooney of Florida this past week told CNN, "I don't think you can rule anything out until you know all the facts." Rooney also decided this past week not to seek reelection, which could him more of a wild card in the weeks ahead.

Former GOP Gov. John Kasich of Ohio Former GOP Gov. John Kasich of Ohio said he would vote yes on impeachment if he were in the House. Kasich was in the House back when President Bill Clinton was impeached. Kasich, though, is a constant Trump critic, so reading too much into his tough criticism would be unwise. But, again, it is worth tracking any Republican dissent or wavering on the impeachment question.

The President's abrupt decision The President's abrupt decision Saturday night to cancel plans to hold the next G7 summit at his resort in Florida will quiet some of the new Republican criticism. Hours before that President's retreat, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican, spoke for most of her colleagues in saying "with all of the stuff that's going on in Washington, DC, right now, why would you just invite more controversy."

Impeachment, Syria and the Doral G7 dust-up are very different things. But many frustrated Republicans see a connection -- and it is this concern at the core of the growing GOP jitters: A President who can't contain his worst impulses, and a White House staff not up to the challenges.

The Mick Mulvaney briefing was cited by many Republicans in the exchanges of recent days. In that one appearance, he disclosed how the President personally intervened to get Trump Doral on the list of the G7 summit, defended Rudy Giuliani's role in administration Ukraine policy and admitted a quid pro quo in withholding aid to Ukraine unless it investigated a long debunked conspiracy theory about 2016 presidential campaign interference. Mulvaney later denied saying what he said, and insisted there was no quid pro quo.

Source: CNN

Powered by NewsAPI.org

Keywords:

This Week (ABC TV series) • Republican Party (United States) • Donald Trump • Washington, D.C. • CNN • Journalist • Radar Online • This Week (ABC TV series) • Inside Politics • Donald Trump • This Week (ABC TV series) • Turkey • Recep Tayyip Erdoğan • Turkish language • Donald Trump • Syria • Vice President of the United States • Mike Pence • United States Secretary of State • Mike Pompeo • Ankara • Vice President of the United States • Mike Pence • Canada • Democratic Party (United States) • Speaker (politics) • Nancy Pelosi • Republican Party (United States) • Republican Party (United States) • Republican Party (United States) • Republican Party (United States) • Republican Party (United States) • United States House of Representatives • Francis Rooney • Florida • Republican Party (United States) • United States House of Representatives • Francis Rooney • Florida • CNN • Wild Card (lottery) • Republican Party (United States) • Governor of Michigan • John Kasich • Ohio • Republican Party (United States) • Governor of Michigan • John Kasich • Ohio • Impeachment • Bill Clinton • Impeachment of Bill Clinton • Republican Party (United States) • Impeachment • President of the United States • President of the United States • Group of Eight • Florida • Republican Party (United States) • President of the United States • United States Senate • Lisa Murkowski • Alaska • Republican Party (United States) • Washington, D.C. • Impeachment • Syria • Trump National Doral Miami • Group of Seven • Republican Party (United States) • Republican Party (United States) • President of the United States • White House • Mick Mulvaney • Republican Party (United States) • President of the United States • Donald Trump • Trump National Doral Miami • Group of Eight • Rudy Giuliani • Presidency of George W. Bush • Ukraine • Public policy • Quid pro quo • Ukraine • Conspiracy theory • Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, 2016 • Quid pro quo •